Missy's Moment (The West Series Book 4)

by Jill Sanders

  It wasn’t as if he was a big reader. Growing up the way they had, there hadn’t been time for books. Ryan and he had done okay in school, but no one would have called them geniuses. Their father only tolerated them staying in school because it was the law. Once, he’d tried to pull them out for a full semester, but the school had called the truancy officers and someone had stopped by and set the old man straight.

  After listening to Holly talk about some of the times her father had had during his tour in Vietnam, he began to think it was time he picked up a book again.

  When he walked Missy home, he started to follow her in without invitation.

  “Aren’t you going to head over to your new place?” She turned and put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

  “No.” He looked down at her knowing exactly where he wanted to be. With her.

  “You have to sleep at your new place the first night.”

  “Why?” He wrapped his arms around her.

  “Well, it’s bad luck or something.”

  He chuckled. “I’d rather be here with you.”

  “Hmm.” She bit her bottom lip, making his mouth water. “There must be a way.” She leaned back. “Do you have a sleeping bag?” He nodded, not liking where this was going. “Perfect. I’ll just go grab mine and we can swing by and get yours.” She stepped away.

  “Wait.” He took her arm. “You’re willing to leave the comfort here and sleep on the floor of a place that probably doesn’t have power yet, just in case it’s bad luck that I don’t spend my first night at my new house?”

  She nodded and laughed. “Sounds crazy, but I think we’ll have fun. Like camping.” She frowned. “My folks never really took us camping. My mother’s idea of camping is the Best Western.” She chuckled.

  “Yet you own a sleeping bag?”

  She laughed. “Still in its wrapper.” He laughed.

  When they finally drove up to his new house, it was after dark. His truck lights lit up the front porch.

  “I’d forgotten how cute this place is,” Melissa said, leaning forward to get a better look out the window.

  He shrugged his shoulders, feeling a sense of pride come over him. This was all his. Sweat and blood. It had cost him more than he’d ever be able to count. He shut off his truck and just looked at it.

  “See those lights over there.” Melissa pointed off to the left. He could see lights shining through a cluster of tall pines a couple hundred yards from them. “That’s the Douglas place.” She nodded to the right and he could see more lights about the same distance away. “That’s Jamella’s place.”

  “Oh?” He looked closer. “I didn’t know she was going to be my neighbor.”

  “She and the sheriff, now that they’re living together. Her and the sheriff now that their living together.” She leaned back and sighed. “This town still has its surprises. Like those two. No one knew that they'd been an item for years.”

  “Well are we going to just sit here or are you going to show me in?” She reached around and grabbed her sleeping bag. “I brought you a surprise.” She held up a slick black bag.

  “What?” he asked, eager to know what was in the bag. He was a sucker for surprises.

  “Oh, no. You’ll just have to wait until after you give me a tour.”

  He grabbed his sleeping bag and the large flashlight he’d had enough forethought to grab. When he unlocked the front door, he was rewarded when he flipped the light switch. Lights flooded the front living room.

  This space was the one that he liked the least. He had plans to remove the wall between it and the dining room, making the two rooms into one that looked and felt bigger.

  “Hmmm, maybe you can take out a wall?” Missy said, setting her sleeping bag down and stepping in.

  “I’d thought the same thing. That wall there.” He pointed towards the dining room. “There’s no need for it.” Besides, it was covered in dark wood paneling that had to go.

  He started to show her the kitchen but stopped when he noticed a large basket sitting on the bar area. They walked over together. Pulling out the card, he read out loud.

  Reece,

  Congratulations on your new house. We hope this gift will help turn it into the home of your dreams and make your first night here a little better.

  p.s. I took the liberty of having all the utilities switched into your name.

  --Alex, Grant, and Laura

  “Family. Gotta love them.” She smiled at him and gave him a quick hug. “My brother thinks of everything.”

  He looked into the basket and was happily surprised that there was a bottle of champagne, a plate of Alexis’s brownies, a small container of tools, and a roll of toilet paper,

  “I just bet the tools are my brother’s doing.” She smiled. “The toilet paper is Alex’s.” He laughed because he’d thought the same thing.

  They walked around the house, and he showed her around, room by room. They briefly stepped out on the back deck, which he knew needed some work as well. They gazed at the stars and enjoyed the sounds of the crickets and frogs.

  “All in all, it’s a great place. Could use some new carpet, some paint to update the look.” She sighed and leaned against the railing.

  He nodded. “It’ll do.” He reached over and pulled her close. “Now, what did you bring me?” He nodded towards the bag she’d set on the countertop next to the basket. He knew Alex’s brownies were good, but he was hoping for something else from Missy.

  “You wait here.” She reached up and planted a kiss on his lips. “Give me a few minutes and then come on back.”

  She walked to the countertop, grabbed the bags, then tucked the sleeping bags under her arm and walked towards the master bedroom. Excitement rushed through every pore in his body.

  He turned and looked out at his backyard, trying to cool off before he let it get too bad. He knew there was some work out here that needed to be done as well. There were flowerbeds that needed weeding, some sod that needed replacing, and a few trees needed to be trimmed or chopped down.

  He leaned against the railing and imagined what it would look like once everything was done. There would be a porch swing sitting over there, roses along the side, maybe a swing set along the back row.

  He shook his head and blinked a few times. Swing set? He felt the blood drain from his face. He’d never thought of having kids before. Never. Actually, when he and Ryan were eleven, they had both decided against ever having kids. They didn’t want to end up like their old man.

  He turned away from the image of three kids running around the yard, playing on the swings, and walked into the house. Even here, his mind started conjuring up images of kids lying in front of the fireplace, reading or playing games. Of him rocking a little girl with gold locks of hair in a chair as she fell asleep in his arms.

  He turned towards the back hallway and blinked. Standing in the hallway was Missy. She wore white and in the dim light, the whiteness of the silk glowed, causing everything else to go fuzzy. The silk flowed as she took a step towards him.

  “Reece?” She held out her arms. Her hair was down around her shoulders, looking softer than it had ever before. He watched her breathe, saw her chest rise and fall, and was almost mesmerized by the movements. “Come to bed.” She stood there, her arms out, waiting. He couldn’t have denied her if he’d tried. His feet moved him forward and without knowing it, he decided his future.

  Chapter Thirteen

  She tried not to let him see that she was shaking when she took his hand and walked back into the bedroom with him. She’d laid out their sleeping bags against the back wall, facing the large window that overlooked the back yard. She’d turned the lights off and had lit the candles in the jars she’d brought along in her bag.

  For some reason, she wanted this night to be perfect. Even though they’d been going out for a while, she felt nervous, like it was their first time.

  When they walked into the bedroom, he turned her around by touching her hips. His lips cu
rved into a smile.

  “Your smell is intoxicating.” He stepped towards her.

  She put her hand on his chest and felt his heart beat quickly under her fingertips. His eyes heated as she used her fingertips to pull his shirt from his jeans. “Let me.” She looked up into his eyes, telling him what she wanted.

  He nodded and dropped his hands to his side, and she smiled. She walked around him, slowly running her hands over him, pulling, tugging and unbuttoning, until she heard him groan. “Tell me what you want,” she whispered next to his ear, leaning up and nipping at his earlobe. She pulled back when he reached for her and shook her head. “Tell me.”

  He groaned. “You’re killing me.”

  “Good. Talk to me. It’s your turn to talk, Reece.”

  He closed his eyes and moaned again. “I want you.” His green eyes opened and burned into her soul.

  “How?” Her mouth had gone dry. “What do you want?” She leaned closer to him. Reaching out, she moved her hand over his bare chest. The hardness of him excited her.

  “I want to toss you down on that makeshift bed, hoist your legs above my shoulders, and bury myself deep into your sweet heat,” he whispered, and she felt herself grow wetter.

  Now her mouth was completely dry. Her mind blank. He stepped closer to her, testing the water. His hand reached out for her, gently taking her hips and backing her up a few steps until she felt the sleeping bags under their feet. Then he leaned close and kissed her, and she felt like she was falling. When her back touched the soft ground, she moaned and arched up into his hands.

  How had she lost control this easily? Isn’t that what she really wanted? To lose herself in his touch, his mouth, his needs?

  He peeled the silk away, and she felt her skin grow hot. She closed her eyes, focusing on every touch, on his sexy musky scent. His fingers dug into her hips as he lapped at her flat stomach, tickling her ribs and sending sparks flying throughout every nerve.

  “Reece.” She tried to lean up, but he held her still.

  “No, your turn.” He looked up at her and smiled. “Tell me what you want.”

  She moaned and leaned her head back. “You. You inside me, consuming me, completing me.”

  He leaned up and slid slowly into her, placing his lips on hers and catching the moan of delight with his mouth. When he started to move, she locked her legs around his hips and held on. “Yes,” she moaned, trying to hold him still, but he chuckled and rolled her over easily.

  Then he whispered, “Your turn.” When she just looked at him in frustration, he laughed. “Ride me, Missy.”

  She glared down at him. She’d been on the verge of coming, but now she’d have to build up all over again. Then she started to move and lost complete track of her frustration. He held onto her hips, helping her to move as she pleased them both. When she threw her head back and cried his name, he arched up and took her mouth and followed her.

  Later that night she realized that sleeping on a hard floor was a little less glamorous than she’d imagined. Even though the carpet was soft, it didn’t cushion her hips our shoulders enough. When she moved for the fifth time in a minute, Reece reached over and pulled her closer.

  “Trying to get comfortable?” She nodded, “Missing that bed of yours right about now?”

  She closed her eyes and felt his skin up against hers and thought about her soft pillow-top mattress at home and shook her head. “Not if you’re not in it with me.”

  He chuckled. “We could have waited until after they delivered my furniture.”

  She shook her head again. “It’s bad luck.”

  “Says you.” He ran his fingers through her hair and she felt like purring.

  “I’m sure it’s written down somewhere.” His fingers were relaxing her enough that she no longer felt the hardness dig into her hip. His legs wrapped around hers, completing the feel of utter relaxation.

  “Missy?” he whispered next to her ear.

  “Hmmm?” She couldn’t move. Didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to be anywhere else but here, on the hard floor with him.

  “Thanks for coming with me tonight.” He brushed her hair aside and kissed her cheek.

  “Mmm.”

  “Night.” He rested back as she drifted off.

  When she woke a few hours later, she listened to the quiet, unsure what had woken her. Then she felt it; Reece was twitching in a nightmare next to her. Reaching out, she snuggled up to his chest and placed a kiss on his jaw. When she felt him relax again, she smiled and snuggled into his warmth.

  The next morning, they showered in the old shower that Reece promised her was the first thing on his list to replace. They drove into town an hour before she was supposed to be at work and parked in Mama’s parking lot.

  “How about some blueberry pancakes?” he asked looking over at her.

  “Sounds great.” He helped her out of his truck and she thought that she was finally getting used to a man opening the door for her.

  After they sat down and placed their breakfast order, she looked over at him and asked. “So, what’s on your list today? More shopping?”

  He chuckled. “No, I’ve got some lumber being delivered today for the corrals I’m building.” He looked down at his watch and frowned. “They’re supposed to be there around nine.” The door chime rang and Chase, Grant, and Wes walked in. When they spotted Reece and Melissa, they walked over and sat next to them at the table. Chase pulled a chair up from the other table and turned it backwards.

  “So, you ready to do this?” he asked Reece.

  Reece laughed and told Melissa, “I’ve hired some help.”

  “Hired? I thought we were doing it for free? But if you want, you can buy me breakfast.” He waved the waitress over and the men ordered more pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

  By the time the food arrived, the table was the loudest in the room and had enough food to feed an army.

  “I wish I could be there to help out today.” Melissa frowned down at her almost empty plate, trying to figure out a way to be where all the excitement was going to be.

  He reached over and took her hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s hot, sweaty work. I was hoping you’d continue to help me inside.”

  She looked up at him. “What? Like with paint and stuff?”

  “Actually, any decorating stuff. I’m no good at it.”

  “I guess I could help you…”

  “Really, other than some of the big stuff, I was hoping you’d kinda take over the whole inside. I’ll take care of the outside.” He looked at her with pleading eyes.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Men. I suppose I could give it a shot.” Who was she kidding? She loved to decorate. Where Holly was an expert with clothes, hair, and make-up, Melissa was an expert with décor. Maybe a little of her mother had actually rubbed off on her. Whatever the reason, Melissa loved to put a room together.

  During her lunch break, she walked over to the bookstore and grabbed every home décor magazine that Holly had on her shelves. She spent the rest of her break looking through them and coming up with ideas.

  After work, she changed into old jeans, stuffed a few things into her duffel bag, and drove out to his place. She parked behind Reece’s truck then walked over to the corral they’d built. The men were busy trying to put another post in the ground and didn’t even stop when she drove up. She heard them cussing and laughing and turned back to her car to start carrying things inside.

  When she walked in, she noticed that the furniture they’d purchased from the antique store had arrived. She spent the next hour arranging it and the smaller items. She made a list of some of the larger items he still needed as well as some basic supplies.

  She stood back, a trail of sweat dripping down her back, to look at what she’d done. The living room was still mostly empty, with only a small bookcase and an end table. The bedroom was just missing a few items. The king-sized bed frame needed a mattress. The matching nightstands looked great with the lamps she’d
talked him into. The desk had been left in the middle of the floor in the second bedroom. It was too heavy for her to move all by herself, so she left it until Reece could help.

  She walked around making lists for each room—what needed to be fixed or replaced, and color ideas from the magazine pages. She hoped Reece would like her ideas and thought of how nice it would be to do something like this for her own place one day. She sighed and leaned against the countertop just as the men crowded into the air-conditioned room.

  “Tell me you’ve stocked the fridge with beer, and I’ll forget that you dropped that timber on my foot,” Grant said, walking over to the fridge.

  “No, sorry…” he started to say and stopped when Grant started pulling out cold beer and tossing them to everyone.

  Reece looked over at her and she shrugged her shoulders. “I stopped off and grabbed a few things.”

  Grant walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead, like he’d always done. “Gotta love my sister.”

  Reece walked up to her and planted a big kiss on her lips. “Yes, yes I do.” He smiled down at her.

  “If you happen to have a pizza in the oven, I could probably be persuaded to forget the whole hammer incident,” Wes said, walking over to the empty oven.

  “Nope, sorry.” Just then they heard a knock on the door.

  “Guaranteed that’s the women with food,” Chase said as he leaned back against the countertop.

  Sure enough, Lauren, Alex, Haley, and Holly walked in carrying large to-go containers from Mama’s.

  “We decided not to cook tonight,” Lauren said handing over a squirming baby to her husband.

  Wes walked over and grabbed up one of his sons.

  Missy and Holly watched the families and sighed together. When they looked at each other, they giggled a little.

  “Do you think they know how cute they all are?” Holly asked, leaning closer to her.

  “If not, someone ought to take a picture and show them.”